TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE BACK?

By Norm Pawlewski – ICA Lobbyist

First, the two victories:  the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the ruling by a lower court judge that the state’s proposed marriage protection amendment does not violate the state constitution’s “single subject rule.” 

As a result, Arizona voters will now have the opportunity (what Mike Gronstal refused to give Iowans) to express their will with regard to marriage at the ballot box this November 7^th.  Three hundred thousand plus signatures were collected in order to place the proposed amendment on the ballot.  Advocates of homosexual behavior had challenged the proposed amendment.

According to the Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel, Glen Levy, “those seeking to redefine marriage unsuccessfully tried to evade the democratic process by misusing a technical provision of the state constitution. Arizona voters” (but not Iowa voters?) “deserve to have a say in the matter of marriage and will have the opportunity to do so.” 

The second step forward was a victory for defenders of traditional marriage in the state of Nebraska.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8^th Circuit denied a motion by the ACLU and advocates of homosexual behavior to have that court re-hear last month’s ruling upholding Nebraska’s constitutional amendment affirming marriage as between one man and one woman.

The one step back is a big one, at least for Christians living in California. By a stroke of his pen, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has nullified all sexual moral conduct codes at colleges, private and Christian schools, daycare centers and other facilities throughout California, if the institutions have any students who get state assistance. 

The Republican governor signed SB1441 which would require all businesses and groups receiving state funding, even if it’s a state grant for a student, to condone homosexuality, bisexuality and transsexuality.  There are no exceptions for faith-based organizations, churches, parochial or other private schools that may hold sincere religious convictions.

According to Karen England, executive director of Capitol Resource Institute, “SB1441 is an outright blatant assault on religious freedom in California.  This bill is yet another attempt to prevent citizens with moral and religious principles from expressing their beliefs and educating their children according to those beliefs.” 

This bill, supported by California Democrats who control both houses of the state legislature, requires “any program or activity that receives any financial assistance from the state” to support the alternative sexual lifestyle choices.  As bad as SB1441 is, there are several other “sexual indoctrination bills” on their way to Governor Schwarzenegger. 

One bill would allow the California superintendent of public instruction to arbitrarily withhold state funds from any district that does not adequately promote the State Department of Education’s “model policy” promoting transsexuality, bisexuality or homosexuality in its school policies.  You read that right; the policy requires the promotion of all these behaviors. 

Another bill would spend state money promoting GBLT lifestyles.

Ok, so what has this got to do with Iowa?  California is the home of some of the fastest growing “mega churches” that claim to have converted hundreds of thousands of seekers to a new life in Christ.  Thousands of Californians did contact Arnold, but not hundreds of thousands.  Many folks remained silent.  And this is what they got for their silence.

Help to elect a liberal Democrat majority in both houses of the Iowa Legislature and the governor’s office and you may be surprised at what happens in this state.  If you don’t vote, if you fail to get involved in this November’s election, if you are discouraged, or frustrated, or angry, or lazy, and do nothing to influence the next election, you may reap what you sow.

Sir William Blackstone, whose commentaries on English law greatly influenced American colonists, including our founding fathers, defined the law as, “the embodiment of the moral sentiments of the people.”  So when secular humanists try to silence us by the claim that you can’t legislate morality, they are really calling for their morality or immorality to be the basis of our laws.

Whose morality should prevail?  Which morality offers a just and righteous environment in which to raise our children and live where “the powerless need no longer fear the powerful?” (I heard that line in a country song about America.)  You choose, or someone else will choose for you after next November.  There are many candidates worthy of your vote and your help.  Go to our Web site, iowachristian.com, and read how your house or senate candidate responded to our survey.  If you are in an area where you have no real choice, look for areas close to you that offer a righteous candidate and volunteer to help him or her.  DO NOT SIT THIS ONE OUT.